Grown throughout India, West Africa, Ethiopia and Sudan, okra thrives in the heat. From the same family as the hollyhock, it produces hibiscus-like flowers and grows 3 to 6 feet tall. In the United States, okra is best known for its starring role in the gumbo of the Deep South or as a fried vegetable. In Asia, okra is often pickled or used in stir-fries.